"Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous or treasonous in my opinion," Perry, who officially entered the GOP presidential race on Saturday, said in his first full day of campaigning.

He went on to say that promoters of such an idea — hinting but not naming Fed chief Ben Bernanke specifically — would get an "ugly" treatment in his home state of Texas.

Perry made the comments in response to a question from the audience at a county Republican Party fundraiser about what he would do with the Federal Reserve.

Video: Perry pitches presidential bid in Iowa

Transcript of: Perry pitches presidential bid in Iowa

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor:Now we turn to politics, the campaign trail of
2011
for
2012
, and for the
Republicans
it's
a different ball game
after this weekend. They have an altered lineup and a big-name new candidate. Now the president has joined in with a three-
state
bus tour of his own to lay out his case. We have two reports on this tonight, beginning with
Kelly O'Donnell
in
Des Moines
.
Kelly
, good evening.

KELLY O'DONNELL reporting:Good evening,
Brian
. It took just 48 hours to really shake up this race. Saturday's
straw poll
victory gives
Michele Bachmann
some new stature. It forced
Tim Pawlenty
to abandon his campaign. But the biggest difference right now, the
Texas governor
is off and running.

Governor RICK PERRY:How's the
John Deere
man doing?

O'DONNELL:Bringing his
Texas
-size personality to the
Iowa State Fairfor the first time
...

Gov. PERRY:This way.

O'DONNELL:...
Rick Perry
, the longest-serving governor in
Texas history
, told
Iowa
he's ready for the
White House
.

Gov. PERRY:I think you want a president that is passionate about
America
, that's in -- that's in love with
America
.

O'DONNELL:Perry
aides said their first goal is a stumble-free campaign rollout. Do you feel you're behind at all, just in timing?

Gov. PERRY:Oh, you know, I got a
little time
to make up, I know that. I got -- I got in a little bit late.

O'DONNELL:Introducing himself to voters as the son of a farmer, an
Eagle Scout
and
Air Force
pilot,
Perry
paid respect to
Iowa
tradition.

Gov. PERRY:This is what it's all about...

Unidentified Man:This is what it's about.

Gov. PERRY:...at the
Iowa State Fair
.

O'DONNELL:And the voters need to be properly courted.

Unidentified Woman:And let me tell you something else, I've been a Democrat my whole life and I might have to vote for you.

Gov. PERRY:You might have to vote for me?

Woman:I might have to. If I vote for...

Gov. PERRY:Give me a chance.

O'DONNELL:Perry
's launch soaked up attention typically showered on the
straw poll
winner,
Michele Bachmann
. Both spoke last night at a
GOP
dinner in her hometown,
Waterloo
.

Representative MICHELE BACHMANN:My goal is to be bold, new, different, actually go in and take your voice.

O'DONNELL:Appearing for her speech only,
Bachmann
's campaign brought its own production of lights and music into a room seating about 300 people, stagecraft made for a
TV
audience. In that other crucial early voting
state
,
New Hampshire
, today national front-runner
Mitt Romney
was already taking on
Perry
, claiming his real-world business experience trumps
Perry
's record as governor on jobs.

Former Governor MITT ROMNEY:I wish
Rick
the very best, and as the process goes on we'll see whose background and skill most fits the need and the needs of the country at a critical time like this.

O'DONNELL:And
Romney
insisted today that even though he has to engage and react to
Perry
, that that won't change his message, so he says. And tonight
Michele Bachmann
is headed off to
South Carolina
for her own bus tour in that

other important state. Brian:Kelly O'Donnell
at the fair in
Des Moines
tonight.
Kelly
,